Cyclist Shot For Riding with Child In Busy Street

Mark at BoingBoing tells us how "firefighter Charles Diez was upset that a man was riding a bike with his 3-year-old son on a busy street so shot the cyclist in the head. The bullet embedded itself in the rider's helmet."

The local news station in Asheville, North Carolina, reports that the firefighter was upset that the victim was riding with his kid and his wife on a busy street. So he appears to have pulled out a gun and shot him. The Bullet "penetrated the outer lining of the helmet but did not actually hit the victim's head."

A commenter wondered: "I'd like to pick up a few of these helmets. Anyone know what brand he was wearing?"UPDATE: From the Asheville Citizen-Times:Approximate location of accident, image by Jouhn Coutlakis from Ashville Citizen-Times

Police said Charles Diez, an Asheville firefighter since 1992, stopped his car to confront a couple riding bikes along heavily traveled Tunnel Road. Diez was apparently incensed by Alan Simons carrying his 3-year-old child on a seat mounted on the back of his bike.

After an argument, Diez pulled a gun and shot at Simons, but the bullet passed through Simon's bicycle helmet, just missing his skull, police said.

Diez was charged with attempted first-degree murder and was being held in the Buncombe County Detention Center with bond set at $500,000. His court date has been scheduled for Aug. 17.

In North Carolina, bicycles are treated as vehicles and are allowed on any road other than interstates, have to follow all the rules but there is no requirement that they travel in single file. As a bike shop owner noted:

"It's hard to pass judgment on someone by saying one road is more dangerous than another. What we have to do is be more considerate, more patient and more concerned about each other."

Of course, the commenters at the Citizen-Times thought otherwise, writing that "Roadways need to be swept clean of all these two-wheeled traffic obstructions" and worse.